890 candidates remain in fray as Assembly poll nomination withdrawal deadline passes

With the state's Assembly elections approaching, the number of candidates contesting stood at 890 on Thursday evening after the deadline for withdrawing nominations passed.

According to data published by the Election Commission on Thursday evening, only 985 of the 1,254 candidates who submitted nominations cleared scrutiny. Of these, 95 candidates withdrew their nominations, leaving the total at 890.

Of the 890 candidates, 105 are from Thiruvananthapuram district, 102 from Kozhikode district, and 96 from Malappuram district.

The election season has been complicated by the entry of rebel candidates unhappy with party decisions who chose to contest as independents. This prompted discussions to consolidate support before the nomination withdrawal deadline, with some efforts proving fruitful.

Saji Joseph, vice president of the Alappuzha District Congress Committee, withdrew his nomination on Thursday. He had decided to contest as an independent after being denied the party ticket.

Saji, who had sought the Kuttanad seat, chose to contest as an independent after Kerala Congress (Joseph) retained the constituency and allotted it to party vice chairman Reji Cherian.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, he said he withdrew his nomination after senior Congress leaders reached out to him, urging him to support the victory of “Team UDF”.

A similar development unfolded in Manjeshwar. The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Thursday withdrew its candidate, Ashraf KM, from the high-stakes Manjeshwar Assembly constituency following sustained pressure from the United Democratic Front (UDF) and community organisations over fears of a split in minority votes.

Allegations also surfaced that he had earlier contested local body polls under the name Ashraf Badaje, fuelling claims that the SDPI deliberately fielded him to confuse voters and split the vote.